Spiritual Training

As a parent I desire the best for my children as I know most parents do. I want them to be healthy, smart, and loving. Most of all I desire that each and every one of them knows Jesus Christ as their Savior.
When my oldest daughter Ashley was born, the Lord was working in my heart. We dedicated her to the Lord and made a vow to train her up for Him. I decided to buy a Children’s Study Bible to read to her. One night after reading, as she lay sleeping, I began to flip through that little Bible. At this point I was in my early twenties, I had been in church all of my life, and had been a Christian since I was seven; yet there in that Bible were several stories I had never heard before.
I sat there and cried. I asked the Lord to forgive me and to please put a hunger and thirst in my heart for His precious Word.

Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child
in the way he should go and when he
is old he shall not depart from it.”

There are many things we must train our children to do, but the greatest of all is spiritual training. We can’t let our children wander in the darkness and then wonder what happened.
We must take this command seriously and be diligent to obey it.
In our home we have decided that the Bible is to be the centerpiece around which all else revolves. If we want to know God we must know His word. Whether you are training children in your home or not there is a simple way to get a firm grip on the Word of God.

1. Read – I Timothy 4:11 “Till I come give attendance to reading…..”
Don’t just read the beginning, the end, and a few parts in the middle of your Bible. Read all of it and you will begin to see the whole picture. During this time you should read for knowledge and write down words or passages you want to study more at a separate time.
2. Study – II Timothy 2:15 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God……..”
When you study something, you research and investigate it. During this time you can look up the definitions of words you didn’t understand during your reading time. You can also search for topics you need the answers to.
3. Memorize – Psalm 119:11 “Thy word have
I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”
Memorizing scripture helps greatly when you are facing trials, making decisions, or while witnessing. I’ve told my children that the Lord will bring a scripture to mind when you need it, but He can’t do that if you haven’t taken the time to learn it.
4. Hear – Luke 11:28 Romans 10:14
Listen to good preaching and apply it to your life. Caution: Always be sure to check that the preaching lines up with the Word of God.
5. Meditate – I Timothy 4:15 “Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them…”
(See also Joshua 1:8) To meditate means to concentrate on it, to think seriously, calmly, and carefully for some time.

I cannot decide whom my children or anyone else will ultimately serve, but as Joshua said in Joshua 24:15 “…as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.”
Whom do you serve? Whom do you obey?
Romans 6:16 says, “…his servants ye are to whom ye obey…”